Stroudsburg lineman Joseph verbally commits to Rutgers

Sebastian Joseph didn't plan on committing to a school this early, but Rutgers made the decision an easy one.

JOE MIEGOC

Sebastian Joseph didn't plan on committing to a school this early, but Rutgers made the decision an easy one.

Joseph, a two-way standout lineman at Stroudsburg High School, verbally committed to the Scarlet Knights after a visit to Piscataway, N.J., on Saturday.

Joseph had six offers, with Rutgers the latest one, but a weekend visit to the Big East school with his family sold him on his future.

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting to commit this early, but the visit gave me insight on how it would be if I was a Rutgers football player," said Joseph, who also had offers from Akron, Buffalo, Connecticut, Maryland and Temple. "I really, really enjoyed it."

An All-Mountain Valley Conference and Pocono Record All-Area first-team pick as an offensive tackle and defensive end as a junior, Joseph was recruited as a defensive tackle by Rutgers.

While the football aspect, especially the family atmosphere of the coaches and players, sold him on the Scarlet Knights, so did the school's academics.

"The No. 1 thing was academics," Joseph said. " What really impressed me was their APR (academic progress rating). They're always in the top 10 in the country. That impressed me. You can't go anywhere without academics. That was a really, really big reason why I committed there."

Joseph will move inside after shining at defensive end for the Mounties.

After missing the first few games of last season because of a knee injury, Joseph finished 2011 with 27 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Joseph decided not to play basketball in the winter so he could concentrate on his school work, and while hitting the books, he also got in the weight room and put on 20 pounds of muscle.

"I didn't try to gain the weight, but I bulked up so much because of lifting that I was 250 by the end of the (football) season and now I'm 270," Joseph said. "It's good weight. I'll try to put on more good weight, cut the body fat and become leaner and stronger."

Basketball may be back on his schedule for his senior year, but it's not 100 percent yet.

"I really do want to play this year," Joseph said. "We'll see what happens. Maybe (Rutgers) might not want me to play, but right now I'm planning on it. I'm planning on helping (Stroudsburg) get a championship."

Something Joseph isn't planning on doing is backing out of his commitment to Rutgers.

"Yes, sir," Joseph said when asked if his recruitment was over. "I'm not trying to change my mind. That's where I can see myself playing. I'm a Scarlet Knight."